Lake Erie Ink (LEI) and the Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) are partnering together for the 14^th Annual Kids’ Comic Con—encouraging artists and creators, ages eight to 18, to ink their own stories during a series of free events and seminars on Thursday, March 5 through Saturday, March 7.

For the first time this year, all events during the three-day celebration are free of charge—even the expanded programming at CMA's Community Arts Center, inside the Pivot Center for Art, Dance and Expression.

Ink Your Story at the 2026 Kids' ComicCon."The biggest thing for this year is all of the events are free," promises LEI program director Charisse Bailey. Events at the Pivot Center include both the Teen Cosplay Party on Friday, March 6, and the main Kids’ Comic Con event on Saturday, March 7. which will also take place there.

There will be three new teaching artists this year, coming from Community Arts Center, including printmaker and bookbinder Claudio Orso, who will lead a DIY bookbinding workshop for teens; illustrator and graphic artist Tao Nguyen; and folklorist Dinara Mirtaliplova.

"The folks at the CAC said here are some artists we think you might be interested in,” recalls Lake Erie Ink's education director Cynthia Larsen. “So we reached out to some of them."

Adding to the family atmosphere, Orso's son, Paulo, will run tabletop role-playing games at Friday’s teen cosplay party.

Virtual programming and celebrity guests
The event kicks off Thursday, March 5, with a virtual drawing jam, featuring SpongeBob SquarePants storyboard artist Bikram Singh, through Lake Erie Ink's ongoing partnership with Nickelodeon.

"That's something that individuals can sign up for, but after-school organizations, libraries, [and other groups] can sign up for it [too],” explains Larsen. “They just have to register to get the link.”

On Saturday, March 7, graphic novelists Terri Libenson (Pajama Diaries, Emmy series) and Fern Hott (The Baker and the Bard) will host a craft talk.

"They're going to present their processes for graphic novel writing,” says Larsen. “When we met together a week ago, I [suggested to them], you two can talk to each other and ask each other questions about the process. And they really liked that idea.”

A space for every young creator
Kids’ Comic Con organizers are perhaps most excited about the inclusive atmosphere the yearly event creates. "One of the greatest things about our Kids’ Comic Con is that there is something for every child or interest," Bailey emphasizes.

Teens participate in a painting event at a Kids ComicCon activity.Larsen highlights their efforts in providing different types of spaces. "There's always art making going on, and there's always a game room,” she explains, “because those are places where kids who need more help making connections can make those connections."

Educator Bailey says she particularly enjoys watching young attendees take charge of their own learning experiences.

"I like to see a third grader walking around like a self-governing learner who's like, ‘I’ve got my schedule and I'm going to go learn about this now,’” Bailey says. “Like, nobody ever lets them do that—they never get to decide what they're going to learn next.”

Beyond enjoying the workshops, organizers point out that Kids’ Comic Con is also a gathering place for young comic enthusiasts.

"The kids who love comics sometimes don't have a lot of friends in their neighborhoods or at their schools who love comics like they do,” observes Larsen. “It's really fun to see who's made friends by the end of the party.”

Additionally, Kids’ Comic Con will host an artist alley in the front of the Pivot Center.

Local vendors will include Cleveland Kids Book Bank, Carol & John's Comic Book Shop, Superscript, and Mac's Backs—all offering books for sale and giveaways. The area is open to the public, even for those not registered for Kids’ Comic Con.

Registration is required for all events. A full schedule of events and registration information, as well as artist biographies, are available on Lake Erie Ink's website.